The Study Of Man
by hoarfrost-sn
Summary: It's not her new long legs, or that she's met real life people, or chocolates that pique Anna's interest most in the human world… its Kristoff. Kristanna!Mermaid AU. One-shot.


**warnings**; extreme fluff up ahead. heads up.

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"Anna," Kristoff called out through the wall-peeling hall of his shack, dropping the goods he hauled for the day by the coat rack with a rattle, letting out a tired sigh as he let the tense muscles of his shoulders relax after a day full of work. "Anna, I'm home."

It didn't take long for the petite redhead to poke her head into the hall, her twin tails bobbing as she squinted up at him, freckled face suddenly splitting into a wide grin. Tearing from the turn in the hall, she started running towards him, and he barely noticed that it made a smile surface his tired face to see his girlfriend run on her long legs (which she called was the best thing that's ever happened to her) and happily let her throw herself at him even if he smelled the day's scent and sweat that partially worried him she'd drop dead if she smelled him like this.

Anna wrapped her slim arms around his neck tightly, one leg swinging over his torso to pull him closer and peppered his face with kisses like it's been forever since they've seen each other. She always greeted him like this, yelling his name when he got home everyday and throwing herself at him kissing him and making him feel so loved.

Still, he felt color rise to his cheeks no matter how many times she welcomed him so warmly, though he pushed down the embarrassment he was feeling and happily wrapped both arms around her slim waist, kissing the top of her head.

"I got chocolate," he said against her skin, lips pressed firmly on her forehead. Her silly giggling made him smile into the kiss, her tucked so perfectly in his strong arms, all the days stress washed away with the core of him that was Anna. She pulled away from his grasps before he could even trail her bare skin with wet osculation.

"Milk or Hershey?" she asked, one hand snaking up his chest with a long finger toying with the collar of his flannel shirt, other dug into the hair on the nape of his neck. His smile broadened, seeing that his half-human half-fish girlfriend _still_ hasn't picked up human language (or so she calls them).

"Milk _and_ Hershey," he grinned, and it made her squeal, jumping a little as she was restrained in his tight grip.

A few more exchanged wet kisses and silly cuddling, Kristoff finally pulled away to pick his bag with Anna's chocolates and money he got from the market after selling off a crate of assorted fishes and seaweeds, slinging it over one shoulder, other hand wrapping over Anna to pull her close as they walked to the living room where he dropped it off again on one corner of the room. The petite ginger toddled off to the couch, turning the TV on to probably watch Disney Channel or Discovery Channel.

The next five minutes flew quickly, Kristoff serving Anna's chocolates in a plate and diet coke served in plastic cups. Anna was already sitting on the couch, knees to her chest, arms looped around her legs. Finally, he set their pre-dinner on the coffee table and joined her on the couch.

"What've you been up to lately?" he asked, popping round chocolates into his mouth, Anna on the other end of the couch. She scooted beside him, arm wrapping along his, cheek resting on his shoulder.

"Oh, you know," she half-shrugged, eyes glued to the television. "The usual… discovering. I learned that nail polish make nails glittery… and human babies burp too but without bubbles unlike mers, and… Oh!" she suddenly perked, a dreamy look flashing on her face. "Kristoff, I love sloths!"

"Sloths?" he asks with a smile, cheek on her hair, still and comfortable. "Sloths? Why sloths?"

"Because they're _so_ cute, Kris! I read about them in your almanac and I saw a picture of one advertised on one of those seafood truck products. They are _so_ cute, I want one, Kristoff."

"But if we do Sven's gonna get jealous."

"Oh, Sven? I love him too, he's our baby, of course I won't forget him! Also, he's out playing with the neighbor's cat again. But maybe a stuffed sloth would be cool though…"

"If I do get you one, what would you do?"

"I'll love you forever!" Anna burst, squealing in the process as her eyes snapped up to meet his. "I mean, I already love you and I'm sure that's forever but I'll love you even more!"

Kristoff chuckled, turning to press a kiss on her hair. He secretly hated himself for spoiling her like this, already thinking of going on eBay and ordering a fluffy stuffed sloth for her. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. But don't get your hopes up, alright?"

"Alright."

He turned back to the TV, and it was featuring an action movie starring actors his never heard of before. The effects were good anyway, despite the lack of recognition.

It was five minute later when he finally took notice of the ginger staring up at him with so much intensity.

Anna stared up at Kristoff like she was in a fierce staring contest with him, only that he was trying to train his eyes on TV as they sat together, her eyes piercing into his very soul. Slowly getting more and more awkward by the minute.

He was starting to grow conscious that there was something on his face with the look she was giving him.

With those big fate forget-me-not-eyes that made his pulse pick up speed he can't calculate on how fast per hour, and it made him ten times self conscious about his crooked nose and his troubling BO hitting her senses from what he thought was a distance.

Suddenly having a flash of memories of how he became a tangled mess in love with Anna, the girl that was apparently half-human and half-mermaid.

He loves her.

And that was the first thing that hit him when he found her splashing on the shore of the beach one dreary morning when he carried the crates he'd use to fish out on the sea that day, a completely out of this world moment he thought that only happened on TV and exaggerated Disney movies.

She caught him by surprise, her on the sand getting grains between her thighs with seaweeds tangled in her messed auburn hair, a few starfish sticking in weird places in her bare body. She was _naked_ when they first met (except for a few plastic bags and rags covering her privates). But that wasn't what caught his attention. It was her eyes, so blue and deep that it reminded him of the ocean and it balanced the fire of red in her hair, he thought to himself. Her lips thin and prim, body voluptuous and scattered with freckles he found so attractive the moment he laid eyes on her he couldn't help but gape.

But in the middle of the shock of a semi-naked woman in front of him, he gasped when he fully comprehended that mystery that was her.

Bruises protruded her alabaster skin, small cuts sliced through in all parts of her delicate frame, and a fairly large wound was torn open above her forehead, thick blood oozing out from the cut that was sure to leave a nasty bruise even if he did tend to it.

He broke out of the spell that froze him to his spot in the distance, running up to her so fast he didn't even notice he threw away the crates for that day's catch away in his haste.

"Are you okay?!" he asked breathily, dropping to his knees to help the weird stranger on the bed of seashells. She looked up to him, glassy eyed, a lock of wet hair caught in her mouth.

"T-Tail…" she murmured, barely audible as she wheezed in a huge gulp of air. She was wet all over, and he knew she somehow dragged herself out the roaring sea before she drowned to death. "Gone."

Then she collapsed against him, shaking and out cold.

A burst of panic exploded in his gut that second, his hands unsure where to touch and soothe the unconscious girl on his chest without causing a scandal, an unfamiliar warmth permeating into his skin every time she'd fall closer against him, and it made him feel like a complete creep (even though it felt so, _so_ good).

It was a girl for goodness sake. And she needed help, ASAP.

He didn't have time to worry about his self and his lack of knowledge on human interaction since he's never even _touched_ a woman in his entire life. Much less, in this kind of intimate situation at all.

When he sorted himself out and calmed his nerves after a few seconds, telling him self to take in even breaths and puff out the tension racking his nerves, he finally eased his strong arms beneath her and he lifted her against his well built chest. And as he carried her back into his shabby shack shakily just a miles walk from where he found her, he couldn't help but keep her close to him, sharing his warmth to the poor girl that seemed to gladly snuggle up his chest in the most adorable way.

And it felt right, having her in his arms.

But the funny thing about when she finally recovered from her ill-fated state a few days later, head strapped unprofessionally with a large bandage and gauze strapped on her skin, she woke up and told him confidently that she's a mermaid.

A mermaid.

A freakin' mermaid.

_Mermaid_.

Like the redhead protagonist on Disney's princess movie and the ones that were all over the internet being spread by people with blurred photos that he knew without even a glance that was a hoax. He felt like he was going to seize a heart attack when she told him her little secret.

Apparently, she ran away from Atlantis and from her sister because she fell in love with this human boy that turned out to be a jerk who magically appeared on Kristoff's doorstep a week later asking for Anna to give up to the scientists so they could test her and make a fortune out of her (of course, to which he replied with a shocked look that Anna ever fell for the jerk and a punch to the face on his perfectly bridged nose was enough to get the scoundrel scampering away in pain).

But somehow after that, the grumpy fisherman slowly fell in love with her.

He loved to count the seconds that would pass for her to she fall asleep in his arms on cold Sunday nights, he loved to map her freckles with his long fingers and kiss them gently when he was given the permission to, he loved how she inhaled chocolate like it was air itself when he would bring her a fresh batch he'd whip from the kitchen occasionally, and he loved how adorable she was when she always mewled for affection like a cat in dire need of love whenever he would come back home after a long fishing trip.

Damn, he loved her.

But her stare alone was going to be the death of him.

"Um, Anna?" he asks warily, finally craning his neck to look at her. "Something the matter?"

"Yes," she announced, and he felt his muscles knot together tightly.

"W-what is it?"

A hand snaked up to press at his chest, his heart pounding wildly against it. A small clutter of butterflies started to collect in the pit of his stomach. "You," she said in a small voice, face unreadable.

"Me?" he stuttered. "What did I do? Did I hurt you? Did I forget something? I swear your birthday is in summer, I've checked the calendar eight times before—"

Suddenly, Anna pushed herself into an upright position, neck strained and lips pursed to silence him with a kiss. His words came out muffled against hers, eyes wide and unsure.

When she pulled away breathless and sated, she laughed out so loud that he'd guess was because his face was making the most confused look, ever.

"Okay, so I'm confused," he frowned. Anna looked up at him lazily, a hand on his chest and the other playing languorously at his blonde hair.

She giggled. "Yeah, no kidding."

"And may I ask why you're so feisty tonight, feisty-pants?" he knew the answer to this, of course. Anna's always forward, always honest. She's always desperate for touch, that it pains him when he sees her falter or defeat when deprived of affection, since she's lacked it since childhood, she's told him.

"Because…" she's suddenly pursing her lips, hesitant. He sees her cheeks flush a faint pink. _Cute_, he thought. "You're… you're you."

Blinking at her, she turned away, cheeks now tomato red. "Stop looking at me like that!" she gushed, hand coming up to swat his head the other way. Back completely turned away from him, his jaw unhinges with the shock and he laughs.

"Anna," he guffawed, unable to stop the laughter in his chest when he turns back to look at her, seeing her pettily cross her arms over her chest and pout like a small child. "Anna, okay, what the hell. Please tell me the chocolate hasn't drugged your brain."

"It hasn't! It's your fault!" she snapped defensively, stubbornly saying it over her shoulder.

"And what have I done this time?" he asked, lips upturned into a lopsided smile. Slowly, he eased his arms around her waist, making her still. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he felt her let out a shaky undeterminable sigh.

"You're… you're you."

"Okay?"

"No, no. That's not okay! I mean, it is, because I love you and that's the problem. I may love you a little bit more than your loose shirts when you leave them hanging around the house and I wear them when you're gone. I may love you more than my legs, which are pretty hot, you got to admit. And I think I love you more than cute sloths and—" she finally turned her head, and her lips brushed feather like on his cheek. "Oh my gosh. I think I love you more than chocolate."

Kristoff's eyes widened. "More than chocolate? _Really_?"

He knew how much the redhead loved chocolate. This was a huge deal, really.

She nodded, lips prim. "Yes."

Taken aback, Kristoff settled to pulling her closer against his chest, Anna melting into his touch. He liked moments like these the best, a long day of work over, an evening of love following after. He has a better reason to come home now.

"Wow," he breathed, one hand resting over her thigh. He felt her snuggle closer to his chest, pushing her head against the crook of his neck and jaw.

"And okay, I may like you to the point that I check you out when you carry the workloads of fish or when you crouch down to pick something up. And when I get to watch you sleep when we're next to each other, and I love how your mouth opens when you're just dead tired. And that you love me, and you just... And just, oh my gosh, I'm babbling."

He chuckled, feeling his cheeks grow hotter by the minutes passing on her confession. He hugged her closer to him, reveling in her warmth. "But, mm, I love you, too Anna. I…"

"But not as much as I love chocolate," she pouted, eyes looking over to the television. He had long forgotten about whatever the show was featuring, it served nothing more than lights that highlighted Anna's features better in the dim light of his shack.

"No, more than that," he insisted, pressing a kiss to her earlobe. His kisses were wet, and it made a fluttering feeling break through Anna's stomach.

"You don't have anything to compare your love for me to. Like, oh, maybe Sven—"

"He isn't even near your kind of affection. He's a dog, Anna. Also, I think platonic is the word you're looking for then."

She pursed her lips to think. "Okay. Then maybe… oh! Oh, bacon. Yes. I think bacon would put me in that position, it's just that you love bacon. You love me more than bacon."

Suddenly, he spans her waist to face him. There's an intensity in his eyes that she can't quite pinpoint, and she swallows the bundling nerves in her throat once she's noticed how his look alone makes her shaking nervous.

"Um, Kris?"

"No, Anna," he said firmly, face inches away from her. "You're more than that. I love you better than that, more than greasy cut of meat. In case you have not noticed, I am a 21-year old grumpy fisherman that's pretty much believed to set his life out alone, with just as less human interaction and less interest compared to yours, but here I am now, yours."

_Yours_, his words thump on replay in her ears, and she likes it. She likes the sound of that and the thought of it, having someone who cares for her deeply. To have someone to hold, someone to love.

"I'm yours, too," she said in a small voice, hands on his chest. The rattling of her heart against her ribs is like thunder, and she could feel the same beat of his in time with hers, throbbing through her fingers.

Because it didn't matter if Anna was once a fishy tailed mermaid or even a fucking salmon, or that she eats scented candles like treats without his supervision, and that she wears his oversized shirts and baggy pants, and needed more attention and care in this world she's still foreign of she saw with childlike wonder. He has her, that's what matters.

He smiled, leaning in for another kiss to her petal lips. "I know," he said, kissing her button nose, her forehead, her hair, her lips again. Damn he loved her lips. Loved _her_. "I know."

Her silly giggling and kiss in response reassures him she knows that by heart by now.

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**A/N:** ok, so this was so fluffy it's surreal, haha. forgive my sappiness. this wasn't proofread or anything, so forgive me for any mistakes. this is the closest thing i can work on as a valentines special. hope it was... good enough. XD

maybe i'll write something more for this AU in the future. till then, feedback is most welcome! till next time!


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